Favored by Felix

by Shelley Munro

  * * * * *

  Casey’s com-circle was full of messages. Her stomach flipped and she set the round unit down with a hard click. The messages could wait.

  Clothes. She should pack, get ready to depart. She should leave today, before the general decided to send someone to retrieve her from the resort.

  Her com buzzed and she stared at it for an instant. No, not yet. She wasn’t ready. Casey grabbed clothes at random and went to wash, perfectly aware she was putting off the inevitable.

  Finally, after she’d packed, washed and changed, she faced the fact she’d run out of excuses not to check her com-circle.

  “Captain Seonaid, this is Owen Nelson, the general’s aide. Please contact this office to reschedule your medical appointment.”

  Casey deleted the message.

  “Captain Seonaid, this is the general’s aide. He is most anxious for you to contact this office when you receive this message.”

  “Captain Seonaid, the general is worried about your health. You are not helping yourself by refusing to acknowledge my messages. Please contact me so medical assistance may be sought.”

  Delete. Delete. Delete.

  “Captain Seonaid.” Casey jerked at the sound of the general’s voice barking through her com. “I insist you report to the medical facility for a meeting immediately. If you choose not to arrive for your appointment there will be consequences.”

  He couldn’t even bring himself to call her by name. Casey deleted the rest of her messages without listening to them and slammed her com down.

  A knock sounded on the door. “Casey, are you there?” Her aunt’s voice came through the door and Casey hurried to answer.

  “Aunt Elsa.” Casey didn’t have to pretend pleasure at her aunt’s visit. “I thought you might have gone back to Dalcon.”

  “No, Anna offered me a position here. I’ve decided to accept and relocate the business here, as we discussed.” She shot her niece a concerned look. “What about you, dear? It looks as if you’ve packed to leave. Surely you’re not following through with the general’s wishes?”

  Tears blurred her vision. “Aunt Elsa, what option do I have?”

  “You can tell the general no! You can make his attempts to force you to undergo the process public knowledge. No man should have that much power. It’s gone to his head. Besides, if you change from female to male, it won’t make him love you more. He’s cold and emotionless. Selfish. All he thinks of is himself and what suits him. Please, Casey. Don’t do this.”

  “You don’t understand,” Casey said.

  “Explain it to me then, Casey,” Felix said from the open doorway. “Explain to me why you’d leave when we’re meant to be together.”

  Chapter Ten

  Felix stepped inside and shut the door, the sharp click sounding loud in the taut silence. “Casey,” he prompted.

  She cast a panicked glance at her aunt, received no encouragement from that quarter, and her shoulders rounded into a defensive slump. “The general is looking for me.”

  “Your father.”

  She gave a defeated nod.

  “Understandable. Parents worry.” Except maybe not hers. His feline stirred unhappily, and Felix stood ready to fight the invisible threat to his mate. “I thought we were past this. Explain to me why you feel you have to leave.” He scowled at Casey’s packed bags. “You intended to say goodbye, at least?”

  A guilty flush suffused her cheeks and a growl rumbled up his throat.

  “Maybe you should go,” he said to Elsa. “I won’t hurt her.”

  “You spanked me,” Casey blurted.

  His brows rose. “I believe I explained why.”

  Elsa let out a sound, not quite a laugh. Her eyes twinkled. “Maybe I’ll go and speak with Anna to discuss a new idea I’ve had for the boutique.”

  Felix didn’t take his eyes off Casey. “I owe you another spanking. I haven’t forgotten. This little stunt of yours might require more thought though.”

  “I have a tracker. Felix, they know where to find me.”

  “Bloody hell.” He straightened and glared at her. “Don’t you think you should have informed me earlier?”

  A sheen of moisture muted the color of her pretty eyes as she stared at him. “They won’t stop until they retrieve me. Once the general gets irked enough, he’ll send an extraction team. He will not give up until he gets what he wants.” She sank down on the bed as if her legs could no longer hold her.

  “What does he want?” Felix crossed the distance between them and crouched by her so he could see her face. “I don’t think familial love is driving this need for your presence.”

  “Officially, I’m not in the military any longer. I received my discharge papers before I came to Tiraq.”

  “Okay.” Felix didn’t pretend to understand. “If you’re no longer military, why would they bother sending an extraction team? Your family knows they can contact you via your com. They must know you came to the resort of your own volition.” Felix thought a moment, scowled. “Your aunt knows.”

  “Yes,” Casey whispered, and pain slid over her face. Misery.

  Witnessing it hacked at Felix’s bad mood, and his temper gave way to concern. “What the fuck could be so bad?”

  She gave an audible swallow and a tear rolled down her face. Felix rose and lifted her, resettling himself on the end of the sleep-bed with her in his lap. She buried her face against his chest, her body quivering like treetops during a strong breeze.

  Impatience pushed through him, propelled by his feline, but Felix waited and stroked her back in the same way he’d calmed Bluebird. Gradually, she settled and the tremors ceased.

  She met his gaze again and her face flushed, a notable contrast to her dull, lifeless eyes. “The general has arranged an appointment at a military medical facility. He is insisting they carry out nanotechnology on me.”

  “For what? You’re not sick. I’d sense it.”

  Her mouth twisted, anguish showing in every line and shadow on her face. “The general wants me to undergo new technology that will transform me from female to male.”

  Felix stared, his mouth dropping open. “A sex-change operation? In God’s name, why? You’re perfect as you are.”

  A laugh barked from Casey. Harsh and loud, it seemed to come from deep in her chest and claw its way free in an ugly burst. “The general wants another son. Once the operation is complete, he intends to welcome me to the world as Arthur Seonaid. Named after him, of course. He seems to think that three strapping sons, all of whom are successful and have achieved high rank within the military, will add to his prestige. He hopes to gain a promotion.”

  “But you’re successful now.” Felix was having trouble understanding the logic. His mate was perfect. Casey was gorgeous, intelligent and had already achieved success and rank. She was talented in design and a loving woman. How could that not be enough for a father? Fuck, what kind of parent would subject their child to this sort of emotional torment?

  The low-level anger pumping through him ramped up to cold fury, but he never stopped stroking Casey, never stopped holding her, never stopped offering her comfort.

  “But I’m a female. No female has ever gone above the rank of captain.”

  “If you’re no longer in the military, he can’t force this experiment on you. What does your mother think? Your brothers?”

  “I doubt my brothers were consulted, but my mother doesn’t care. She said the general knew what was best for us, and I should follow orders. She said I’d look striking in a military dress uniform, e-especially if…esp-especially if they f-fixed my-my face.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with your face. You’re gorgeous! You have pretty brown eyes that remind me of whiskey.” He ran his fingers across her chin. “I like your determined chin and the way you lift it when you’re trying to challenge me. I like your pert nose and these beautiful sexy lips.”

  “My mother also doesn’t like my hair.”

  “What’s wrong
with your hair? It’s perfectly good hair.”

  “I cut it short because it was easier to look after, and for safety reasons. If my hair is short, no one can grab me it in hand-to-hand combat.”

  “Hair is a trapping. Long, short or none at all. It doesn’t define you, Casey. It’s a person’s heart that makes them special.” He stroked her cheek and wiped away a tear. “You have a beautiful one. You’re loving and display so much courage. You have integrity and tact. That was obvious in the way you dealt with the chief and his people. You’re loyal and clever, and to me, you’re beautiful. I intend to spend the rest of my life making you happy because being with you makes me happier than I can ever remember.”

  She gave him a misty smile, but it faded as her mind did an obvious flit. “The general is determined. He’s already left me messages, telling me to present myself to the medical facility.”

  “What can he do if you refuse?”

  “You don’t understand. He will send an extraction team, and he won’t care if anyone gets hurt. I need to go because I’d never forgive myself if you or your mother or siblings were injured because of my disagreement with the general.”

  It occurred to Felix she almost never referred to him as her father. It was always the general, and she seldom mentioned her mother or brothers. When she spoke of family, it was her aunt, and Felix gave silent thanks to the woman for trying to provide Casey with some sense of normality.

  “This technology—will it wipe your personality?”

  His hands tightened on her shoulders when she nodded. Her wince had him forcing himself to relax and resume his stroking. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

  Essentially the man was trying to obliterate his daughter so nothing remained, until he gained a precious son. Felix couldn’t begin to understand, not when every child—male or female—held value within his world.

  His mouth twisted when the irony struck him. They were attempting to steal females because they had a shortage, and the general wanted males. Kinda funny in a warped way.

  “Tell me about this tracker you wear.”

  “It’s here, beneath the skin.” She fingered the back of her neck, toward her left shoulder. “They used to place them in the forearm, but some of the alien species we fight like to hack off arms and legs. The trackers would be lost, but the soldiers weren’t necessarily dead. They were then placed in the current position.”

  “Very practical,” Felix said. “Let me see.” He felt the region of her shoulder she indicated, felt the tiny bump beneath her skin. “Right. We’ll get rid of it. It’s not very deep.” He scooped her off his knee and placed her on the sleep-bed. He pulled out his com-circle. “Scarlett, I need you in my suite. Casey has a tracker we need to get rid of.”

  He repeated the call to his other brothers then settled back to wait for them to arrive.

  Scarlet arrived first and carried a bag. “Let’s have a look at the tracker,” she said, her tone brisk. “I might be able to jam it somehow.”

  Casey took off her shirt.

  “What a cute cat tattoo,” Scarlett said. “It’s so tiny. When did you get it?”

  “I bit her,” Felix said. “The tracker.”

  Scarlett shot him an incredulous look, one that shouted clearly there would be questions, but she kept her curiosity contained. She ran her fingers over the spot on Casey’s shoulders, hummed and opened her bag. She pulled out several gadgets, making a tutting sound when she ran them over the tracker. “Hmm,” she said.

  On hearing a sharp knock, Felix rose to answer the door and let in Sly and Joe. Leo arrived a few minutes later.

  “What’s this about a tracker?” Leo asked.

  Shock pelted Felix when he looked at his brother. He hadn’t seen Leo for a few days, and he’d lost weight in that short time. There was a gray cast to his skin. Felix opened his mouth to ask questions, but stopped when Joe elbowed him in the ribs.

  “Casey has one in her shoulder. We need to neutralize or cut it out and destroy the bloody thing.”

  “It’s going to need to be cut out,” Scarlet said. “Nothing I have is strong enough to block the signal.”

  “It’s transmitting?” Casey asked.

  “Yes,” Scarlet said. “Blocking wouldn’t be a permanent solution anyway. It would only work if you stayed within range. The tracker would start transmitting again if you left the resort.”

  “Let me see,” Leo said.

  Felix struggled with his urge to growl when Leo placed his hand on Casey’s shoulder.

  “Can you move so you’re under the light?” Leo asked.

  Felix got a chair and motioned for Casey to sit in it. He spotted the exact moment his brothers noticed Casey’s tattoo. His feline pushed out a warning growl, and his brothers moved carefully, keeping their gazes downward as they edged around Casey,

  “Steady, bro,” Scarlett said, squeezing his arm. “They’re trying to help.”

  Felix took a deep breath and rounded the chair to face Casey. He sat on the floor at her feet and soothed himself by pressing up against her leg. Only then did his brothers start to move more naturally.

  “What do you think?” Leo asked Joe and Sly.

  “You can feel it just below the surface. I think we should remove it,” Sly said. “Use one of Ma’s scalpels.”

  “Then destroy it,” Felix said.

  “No.” A mischievous expression flooded Scarlett’s face. “I think we should mail it to Earth. The pickup is in an hour. If we hurry, we could catch the mail shuttle. Think of all the stops it makes, all the sorting stations the package would go through before it arrived on Earth. We’ll send it to my friend’s post office box. If the package is retrieved, it won’t matter.”

  “I have to go to Dalcon today,” Leo said. “I’ll deliver it to the mailing office there so the package doesn’t originate at the resort.”

  “They’ll think I’m obeying orders and returning,” Casey said.

  “I like it,” Felix said.

  “I’ll go get Ma’s scalpel,” Joe said.

  “I’ll go too and distract Ma,” Sly said. “We don’t want her demanding answers.”

  What none of his brothers or his sister mentioned were the possible legal repercussions, and Felix was grateful for their restraint. “Thanks.”

  Joe was back in mere minutes. Sly took a little longer to return, and Leo had already sprayed his hands and the tracker area with anti-germ.

  “It’s gonna hurt,” Scarlett said.

  “Do it,” Casey whispered.

  “I’ll help,” Felix said and rose to a kneeling position. He pressed a kiss to her lips and ran his finger over the marking site.

  She moaned, jolted.

  “Hold still,” Leo said tersely.

  “You can do this,” Felix whispered and stroked the tattoo again. This time she didn’t move, but her eyes went soft as she locked her gaze with his.

  “Got it,” Leo said a few seconds later. “Fuck, she’s bleeding a lot. Joe, hand me a pad from Ma’s kit.”

  Felix kissed her and rose. “I’ve got it.” He took the pad from Joe and pressed it to the wound.

  Scarlett took the tracker from Leo. “I’ll package it up. Better wash it first. Don’t want the scent of blood anywhere near the package.”

  Felix lifted the pad and frowned at the instant beading of blood from the small wound. His gut told him to lick the wound so he followed instinct. He curled one hand around her other shoulder for balance, and when she gave a throaty moan, he knew he’d touched the tattoo. He continued to lazily stroke the spot while he bent his head and ran his tongue over the cut. The taste of her blood, coppery and so her, flooded his mouth. His eyes closed and he licked again and again until the bleeding slowed then ceased. When he lifted his head, the small wound was no longer open—only a bright-pink scar highlighted the spot.

  “Amazing,” Joe whispered. “How?”

  Leo speared him a glance, curiosity a contrast to the shadows beneath his green eyes. “How did you know
what to do?”

  “What’s wrong?” Casey asked.

  “Nothing, sweetheart. I didn’t. I listened to my gut,” Felix said. “Maybe Ma will know. She said she’s doing research.”

  “Ah,” Sly said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “That would be why my distraction methods worked so easily. Her mind was on her diaries.”

  Leo sighed. “I’d better get moving. The shuttle will arrive soon. I’ll take care of the package for you.”

  “Thanks,” Felix said and gave his brother a swift hug. “That was a fine piece of work.”

  “You can return Ma’s scalpel,” Joe said. “Sly and I did the hard bit.”

  “Thanks.” Felix hugged the twins too and escorted them to the door. He closed and locked it behind them before turning back to Casey. “You okay?”

  “Tired,” she said.

  “Let’s go to bed then. Ma will let me know if I’m needed.” He urged her toward the sleep-bed and pulled back the covers.

  “Do I need a dressing on my shoulder?”

  “No, sweetheart. The wound healed after I licked it.”

  She frowned. “How?”

  “Don’t know.” He helped her remove the rest of her clothes and after settling her in his sleep-bed, he stripped too. He pulled her into his arms, and his feline stretched sleepily beneath his skin, totally satisfied with the state of affairs.

  Gradually she relaxed, her breathing becoming even as she fell asleep. Felix wasn’t tired, but he was content to hold her close while his mind raced.

  If he ever met the fuckin’ general face-to-face, he intended to punch him in the nose and send him sprawling on his smug, arrogant ass.

  * * * * *

  General Seonaid stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, his hands clasped behind his back, feet together as he peered out at the view of Dalcon City, the palace and the mountainous region beyond. But instead of seeing the view, appreciating his accomplishments, the general dwelled on Captain Seonaid.

  Captain Seonaid.

  He’d like to wring her bloody neck. Phrull, he’d do it and enjoy seeing the life seep from her eyes, if her death wouldn’t get in the way of his plans.